Add color to your layouts using Gelatos

This months Creative kit inspired me to try out Gelatos! I've owned a few for at least a year; even played around with them a tiny bit; but I really didn't know what to do with them and was afraid to give them a try. I'm guessing you might have some tools in your stash that you feel the same way about. So what finally convinced me to give it a try? My good friend and fellow design team member Kristin Greenwood recently made a layout using Gelatos. Her demonstration convinced me to give it a try. That along with the perfect piece of paper in the Creative kit was all the inspiration I needed. Yes, this is my tutorial but she really deserves the credit for this tutorial because she is the one who taught me about Gelatos. Here is the Creative kit paper I started wih:

I was able to change the look by using Gelatos, a little water, and a paint brush.

Gelatos remind me of crayons only much creamier and water-soluble. There are many different ways to use them. This month I used a very simple technique. First, I chose the colors I wanted to use on my paper; grabbed a paint brush, paper towel, and small dish of water. I colored a little Gelato on my craft mat (don't push too hard or you will get chunks of Gelato rather than a creamy base) then lightly wet my brush. Depending on how wet your brush is and/or how dark you want your color to be you might add more or less water to your brush. If your brush is too damp use your paper towel to dry it a bit. Use the wet brush to pick up the Gelato color off the craft mat then color your paper just as I did. My brush wasn't too wet so my paper didn't take long to dry. When I first started I didn't think the color was showing up much but as it dried the color really set in. Still, there were a few parts of the paper I went over again because I felt the color was too light. Here is my finished layout and a close up!

I have to admit, being a member of the My Creative Scrapbook kit club has really inspired me to use scrapbook paper in whole new way as well as inspire me to try out new techniques and tools. I love it! I hope you do too! Joan